Bianca Simone Mannie

Bianca Simone Mannie was born in Cape Town, South Africa. The oldest of 2 sisters, she stood out as the performer from the start and did ballet lessons from an early age. As she got older, her interests transitioned to acting. Her first roles were in Noddy and The Hare and the Tortoise at the old Nico Malan theatre (now Artscape). She is currently starring in BBC Studios' The Watch, co-produced with Narrativia for BBC AMERICA. The series is inspired by Sir Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld novels. Bianca portrays the cunning and underestimated Wonse, a wizard in waiting. Equally as comfortable on the stage as on film, Bianca's textured character acting and powerful, soulful singing voice has landed her starring roles in theatre productions. She has appeared as Maria in Twelfth Night and most recently, as a dynamic Lady Anne in Richard III - both performed at South Africa's popular Maynardville open-air theatre. Her film credits include Homeland, Vagrant Queen, Kaya in Saints and Strangers for National Geographic and Gwenn in the SyFy horror film Dead in the Water. Bianca's enjoys reading classical and historical literature (especially stories about remarkable women through the ages), journaling and rock climbing. She is passionate about exploring her mixed-race heritage and being an encouraging voice to other women of colour who have a passion for acting. She has also been part of community dance performances where she was able to connect with children from underprivileged areas around Cape Town, helping them explore their narrative and identity. Bianca has a BA in Theatre and Film from the University of Cape Town.